TriJets wrote:If someone breaks into my home, I don't know if they are there to kill me, kill someone I care about, or just steal my TV. Thankfully, I don't have to wait to find out. Legally I'm allowed to use lethal force to defend myself. I'm glad I live someplace that puts the rights of victims above the rights of criminals.
If someone breaks into my house, I know there’s first of all a 98+% probability the house will be empty. Apart from the cat, who’ll be sleeping. The overwhelming majority of burglars are there for one thing, and one thing only: Money or stuff which is easy to carry and easy to sell. They will, at almost any cost, do whatever it takes to avoid being seen or heard, and that means they go after empty houses and apartments.
Now in the very remote chance someone does break in during the night, we’re again back to the reason for their unwelcome visit: Money and stuff to sell. And whilst it does happen on extremely rare occasions, that someone’s there to rape/murder, the chances are so minuscule they are not worthing mentioning. I appreciate that in a less civilised and more violent societies, the risks involved are different; sleeping with a gun under the pillow might be the prudent thing to do in a society rampant with violence, crime, drugs, poverty and destitution. But we’re not talking about living in such a society, are we?
Dogman wrote:I am not sure that you are right about that. I agree that in many countries it is illegal to use a disproportional force to defend yourself. It certainly is here, in Canada. But there is no way you can be 100% sure that if someone broke into your house with a knife that he will only rob you. Same with rape. I do not know what exactly the law says, but I will not take your word for this, unless you are a lawyer and familiar with criminal law of all the countries that you are talking about.
See above. As for the lawyer bit; most certainly not! I’m an honest person with an intact soul doing an honest job for a living
I do know a little bit about the law around here, and they’re not terribly different from my neighbouring countries and what they say about the use of self-defence. And it basically allows for a “proportionate” response to an attack. Chances of someone (in this neck of the woods) randomly coming at you with a gun are virtually non-existent; getting into a knife-on-knife fight might be a problematic defence, depending on actual circumstances. Clubbing someone to death who comes through your window, and you get into a fight, is murder. Beating him moderately silly with said club, is something you’d probably get away with. Depends how molested you leave the guy. Shoot him and you’re down for murder, looking at 8-12 years.
PS (and not directed at Dogman)
“Castle Laws”. Yeah, let’s go live in medieval times. A really good time were had by all back then.